Energy efficiency: Still top of the agenda

We are grateful, as always, to all those who have found the time to contribute articles to AirUser and, in particular our thanks go to Chris Dee and Greg Bordiak, at the British Compressed Air Society (BCAS) for their interesting and topical articles. Thanks too to Andy Jones who this year has contributed three articles: As former chair of BCAS' Compressors and Vacuum committee, he provides an update on the committee's work. In a separate article, he outlines some of his key objectives when he becomes president of BCAS at the end of November when Derek Turnbull's two-year term comes to an end. In a third piece for AirUser Andy, who is general manager of Mattei, focuses on compressed air systems and energy efficiency, and suggest that there are various ways in which the efficiency of a compressed air system can be improved in order to lower energy costs and carbon emissions.

Energy remains a key theme throughout this year's guide. Mark Whitmore, general manager at BOGE Compressors focuses on the heat that is an inevitable by-product of compressing air. According to figures from the Carbon Trust, more than 90% of the electrical energy used by a typical air compressor is lost as heat. Mark explains that this heat can be recovered and used for other purposes such as space heating, water heating or for production purposes. However, he believes that, despite the powerful potential for enhanced efficiency, too few compressed air users are taking full advantage of heat recovery.

There's an energy theme to an article from Norgren in which Ben Rickards stresses the need for compressed air to be used at the ideal pressure in order to optimise return on investment. He outlines the importance of selecting and installing the correct type and size of pressure regulator to ensure optimal performance and energy efficiency.

VPInstruments believes there are few situations in which investment in energy-saving measures are so quickly recouped as with the optimisation of compressed air systems. The company advocates three areas of focus: Monitoring and analysis, leak management, and system optimisation.

While energy efficiency is a recurrent theme throughout the guide, the safety of employees must remain a priority for all companies. Statistics from the HSE indicate that there were 53 reportable accidents involving compressed air in UK manufacturing in the two years to March 2013. Craig Forrester or Stäubli Connectors discusses one of the issues of concern – hose whip – and outlines how it can be eliminated.

During the recession many companies pared their workforce down to the absolute minimum. Now with UK manufacturing on a growth spurt companies are looking to take on new employees only to be faced by the much talked about skills shortage. James Maziak, managing director of Maziak Compressor Services, is a BCAS board member representing distributors in the UK and heads the Society's working group on training. He discuses with AirUser the current skills shortages and his plans for a new apprenticeship scheme for those in the compressed air industry.

Training is also the theme of one of Greg Bordiak's articles. In particular he focuses on the latest courses to be offered by BCAS in relation to the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations.

The AirUser team hope you find the articles in this year's guide of interest and we hope that it will prove a useful reference tool – both for sourcing equipment and services and for helping you to run your compressed air systems as safely, reliably and energy efficiently as possible. If you have any comments on AirUser or if there are any topics that you would like to see included in next year's guide, please get in touch.

Val Kealey

Editor

AirUser

[email protected]